I always have it in OD. Everyone I know leaves it in OD, be it around town or on the highway. I manually shift when racing. Recently, however, I was told that driving in OD all the time will damage the tranny. Is this true? Or should I just keep OD'in? Thanks.

 

No need to worry about having your tranny in OD, because unless your going over 40 mph you are in D. It shift into OD over 40 MPH.

 

Oh, really? Kool. Thanks. Anyone else wanna shoot? Thanks.

 

i run in drive most of the time and then i usually shift into overdrive around 45 or 50 mph.

 

I just let my tranny sit in OD when cruising the highways and bi-ways. Occasionally when coming off an on ramp I'll drop it into drive so I can get some good scoot that the tranny wouldn't normally downshift for.

Some times I'll put it on drive for on-ramps, or if I want to make a pass REALLY quickly between 50 to 70mph.

Now that the TV cable is set correctly I don't have to do much to get it to leap off the line. Shifts consistantly at 4,700rpms when I'm at WOT.

Just tooling around town gets it to shift at 2,000rpms or so. Though I have had one cop pull me over because he felt I was driving aggresivly. I kinda asked him what made him think so and he said it was because my car was so loud. I told him I never brought it up above 2,000rpms and if I did he would have heard it a mile away (well, maybe not a mile. More like a 1/2 mile.

 

It's designed to be driven in OD, letting the tranny decide what gear it needs to be in. 4th gear shift depends on more than speed(the tranny doesn't 'see' speed, just rpm). Gear ratio changes what speed it shifts--I get into 4th just over 30mph

 

my car shifts to 4th at 40mph. i know if you leave the tranny in OD and you'rs driving around the speed the tranny shifts at, it will constantly upshift and downshift if you keep exceeding or going below the shift point. thats the only way it would be harmful to your transmission to leave it in OD. it isnt good to have your tranny constantly upshift and downshift

 

sooooooo which gear would be faster and i have a **** plate like this

P park
R reverse
N neutrual
D drive
D over drive
2 ???
1 ???


so which would be the fastest would it be could when im racing (not on the street of course)to shift from 1...2...then over drive or drive or should i just leave it in drive like i always do.

 

When you're in OD reguardless of speed, less or more clutches (I can't remember it's been a year since I learn this)... engage at any given time, than in D,2,1... Causing more slipping, and potential to harm the input sprag that engages and disengages each time you take your foot on an off the gas.

If you have the shifter in D,2,1 it's alot tighter, similar to if say your TCC was locked all the time. The reverse of what happens in OD.

Even with a built trans like mine, if you give it too much gas so that it tries to downshift, in OD it will slip like hell, and you can only imagine what that does to the insides.

Keep the trans in D unless you are at a constant speed where OD will keep your RPMS down.

I learned this from a VERY reputible transmission shop that's been in business locally here for a very long time. And also from the boards here, to keep the shifter in D (ESPECIALLY FOR RACING) rather than OD.

 

Yes, you don't want the tranny to upshift/downshift constantly--racing or driving normally. The shifter in an auto, merely allows to you select the highest gear it will shift into. With it in OD, you will start in 1st, then shift to 2nd, then third, then if you are going probably over a 100mph, you might be able to get into overdrive(if the tranny allows 4th gear at WOT). In D you won't ever shift into Overdrive. If the shift points are too early, manually shifting may make you faster.

The original question stated that he drives around town and on the highway in OD--that is absolutely OK. Then manually shifts when he needs to go fast--that is absolutely OK, I do the same thing.

If you tranny is slipping when the shifter is in OD and it tries to downshift, something is broken. D or OD, it feels nothing like when the TCC is forced to lock.

 

it really all depends on tire height and rear axle ratio, a vehicle with short tires and/or 3.42 or 3.73 gears will get to last gear alot sooner than a vehicle with tall tires and/or ratios such as 2.41 2.73, 3.23, etc.

a vehicle with 3.73 and normal tires wil be in third range by 28 mph with normal acceleration and adjustment, 32 maybe at the very most, fourth range in the manual trannies and 700r4's would come a little later at around 45 or 50 with higher ratios such as the 2.41-3.23 range

 

From what I've been told and seen, is that OD is for normal driving; D is good for racing; and 1 and 2 are for hills. If your tranny is in top notch shape, I seriously doubt you can shift better manually than it can.

-The Gunny